Choke (novel)
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| Choke | |
 First edition cover |
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| Author | Chuck Palahniuk |
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| Cover artist | Jacket design by Rodrigo Corral Jacket illustration by Bob Larkin |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Publication date | May 22, 2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback), audio cassette, audio CD, and audio download |
| Pages | 293 pp (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-385-50156-0 (first edition, hardcover) |
Choke is a 2001 novel by American author Chuck Palahniuk.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Choke follows Victor Mancini and his friend Denny through a few months of their lives with frequent flashbacks to the days when Victor was a child.[1] Victor grew up while going from one foster home to another. Victor's mother was found to be unfit to raise Victor. Several times throughout his childhood his mother would kidnap him from his various foster parents. They would eventually be caught and he would again be remanded over to the government child welfare agency.
In the present day setting of the book, Victor is now a man in his mid-twenties who left medical school in order to find work to support his mother who is now in a nursing home. He cannot afford the care that his mother is receiving so he resorts to being a con man. His "con" is to go to restaurants and midway through his meal, he forces himself to choke on his food, luring a "good Samaritan" into saving his life. He keeps a detailed list of everyone who saves him and sends them frequent letters about fictional bills he is unable to pay. The people feel so sorry for him that they give him money, send him cards and letters asking him about how he's doing, and even continue to send him money to help him with the bills.
While growing up, Victor's mother taught him numerous conspiracy theories and obscure medical facts which both confused and frightened him. It is because of this and his constant moves from one home to another that has left Victor unable to form lasting and stable relationships with women. Victor therefore finds himself getting sexual gratification from women in sexual addiction support groups.
The narrative is episodic, and is presented out of chronological order.
Much of Palahniuk’s research on Choke was conducted with total strangers at the gym and sexual addiction groups [2].
[edit] Film adaptation
A film adaptation directed by Clark Gregg and starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston will be released commercially on September 26, 2008.
[edit] In popular culture
- The Biffy Clyro song "Joy.Discovery.Invention" and the Panic! at the Disco song "Build God, Then We'll Talk" and the The Scare song "If I'm choking, make a scene" are each named after a phrase in Choke.
[edit] Editions
- ISBN 0-385-50156-0 (hardcover; New York: Doubleday, 2001)
- ISBN 1-58945-971-7 (e-book, 2001)
- ISBN 0-385-72092-0 (paperback; New York: Anchor, 2002)
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Palahniuk, Chuck (June 11, 2002). Choke. Anchor. ISBN 0-385-72092-0.
- ^ "The Unexpected Romantic: An Interview with Chuck Palahniuk". Tamara Straus's interview with Chuck Palahniuk. June 19, 2001.
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